LLCPO to train ‘surrenderees’ against drugs

CEBU, Philippines —  Some drug surrenderees in Lapu-Lapu City will soon become part of the Police Community Relations (PCR) department as a drug advocate battalion.

Police Colonel Elmer Lim, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO) chief, said that this is for them to supervise the whereabouts and activities of the surrenderees and make sure they would never return to their illegal activities.

Lim said Lapu-Lapu City has about 1,000 drug surrenderees in the custody of barangays through the City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (CLOSAP) as of Wednesday, of which about 400 have already undergone rehabilitation.

He said they would acquire 160 of these 400 surrenderees to be trained as their drug advocate battalion.

Lim said the battalion would serve as parade elements and tasked to perform foyer and arrival honors, among others, in their special activities.

“If and when ang region mo request sa ilaha nga silay mo render didto sa PRO-7 (Police Regional Office Central Visayas) parade ground...wala tay problema ana ato silang ipadala,” said Lim.

[If and when the region requests them to render at the PRO-7 (Police Regional Office Central Visayas) parade ground...we have no problem with that, we will send them.]

Their training will be similar to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) or the training given to college students in the rudiments of military service.

“Our purpose for that is to impart or instill discipline among drug advocates that the government is really there to supervise and monitor them to make sure that they will forget or leave behind those bad deeds... they will come back to our government to help our government, especially our police,” said Lim in a mix of Cebuano and English.

Lim said the directive came from Police Brigadier General Jerry Fornaleza Bearis, the PRO-7 director during its courtesy visit last December 24. -  GMR (FREEMAN)